A table grill with two separate heating circuits
MEDION’s full name for the MD12027 is “MEDION LIFE Tischgrill mit Dual-Zonen-System”. It belongs to the electric grills, more precisely to the flat table-top appliances without a lid that stand on a worktop or a dining table. You grill on two removable plates, and according to the data sheet each one has its own heating element. Each plate has its own control knob.
A table grill with one continuous plate and one control heats the whole surface to the same level. Here you can set left and right differently.
One plate is ribbed, the other smooth. MEDION recommends the ribbed one for steaks and other kinds of meat, and the smooth one for fish and vegetables and for keeping already grilled food warm. In the product photo the ribbed plate is on the left and the smooth one on the right; the two controls sit at the front under the respective plate. In our price box the grill is listed at approx. €100: that is the lowest new price from marketplace sellers on Amazon (Amazon page on 21 October 2026: €99.90), while Amazon itself did not offer the appliance that day. It needs no gas or charcoal, only a socket, and it is this socket that the manual’s strictest requirements attach to.
What belongs to the appliance according to the manual
The operating manual, dated 26 May 2025, numbers the parts of the appliance. Besides the two grill plates, these are a grill plate release button, a carrying recess, two temperature controls with a ring-shaped indicator light, the drip tray, a cord winder on the underside, feet and a wind/splash guard. You push the splash guard into a groove on the grill plates, and the manual expressly says it is merely clipped on, not locked in place. In the photo it stands as a sheet-metal wall at the back and on both narrow sides above the plates. In gusty wind we would therefore not rely on it staying in place.
You insert the plates into the mounts at a slight angle with two locking pins and fold them down until they click into place. The drip tray is pushed in fully with the opening facing up.
On the scope of delivery, two MEDION sources contradict each other: the shop data sheet lists the table grill and an operating manual, while the manual itself lists the table grill and a quick guide. The full version is available to download from the MEDION service portal, in six languages; the German part covers pages 3 to 18 there. A cover, a stand or spare plates appear in neither list.
The dimensions do not match either. The data sheet gives 52.1 cm width, 28.4 cm depth and 10.2 cm height, the manual approx. 52 x 30 x 15 cm. Which value includes the clipped-on splash guard remains open; for the footprint on the table we would plan with the larger one. The net weight is approx. 5.04 kg according to the manual, and the colour is black.
Power, controls and the colours of the indicator light
In the shop the MD12027 is listed at 2,400 watts. The rating plate in the manual is more cautious and gives a rated power of 2000 to 2400 W at 220 to 240 V and 50 to 60 Hz. With heating appliances, such ranges usually depend on the mains voltage, because a heating resistor draws less power at lower voltage. MEDION itself does not explain the range.
A light ring runs around each control. White means standby, red means the plate is heating up, green means the set temperature has been reached. When you plug it in, the grill sounds one signal tone, and five when the temperature is reached. During grilling the ring can turn red repeatedly; the appliance is then reheating to hold the temperature.
Electrically, the grill is a protection class I appliance: its housing is connected to the protective earth conductor, so it needs an earthed socket. The housing is protected against splashing water from all directions according to IPX4. What that means for outdoors follows further below.
What MEDION does not state: for several questions that suggest themselves before buying, we found no answer in the shop, the data sheet or the manual: the grilling area in centimetres or square centimetres, the material of the plates and the housing, the type of non-stick coating, the temperature at each heating level, the heat-up time to grilling temperature (only the first heating without food is documented), the cord length, the power consumption per hour of grilling, overheating protection, spare plates to buy separately, the country of production and a number of people it serves. We deliberately do not calculate the grilling area from the outer dimensions, because they include the housing rim, controls and splash guard.
In detail: two zones on an electric grill
On a gas grill, two-zone grilling usually means one burner is on and one is off, while the food cooks indirectly in the hot air under the closed lid. Our guide to direct and indirect heat explains this in detail. On an open table grill this principle does not work. Here everything lies directly on a plate, and two zones mean two contact surfaces of different temperatures.
It is still useful. If the ribbed plate runs at level 5 and the smooth one at 2, you sear meat and, next to it, cook vegetables more slowly, or you use the smooth plate, as MEDION intends, to keep already grilled pieces warm; what temperature level 2 reaches, the manufacturer does not say.
As a general rule for the control: a thermostat switches the heating element on as soon as the plate falls below the set value, and off again when it reaches it. The repeated red in the light ring is exactly this switching on. If you put a lot of cold food on at once, the plate temperature drops, and the heating element needs a while to bring it back up. MEDION advertises even heat distribution in the Amazon catalogue; whether the edges of the plates get as hot as the middle, nobody has measured for us.
How the 2,400 watts are divided between the two plates is not stated in any MEDION source. Half each would be the obvious guess, but it is not documented. For the household connection the total counts anyway when both plates heat at the highest level: at 230 V, 2,400 W corresponds to about 10.4 A, calculated from the rating plate values. If a kettle or oven is on the same circuit, the fuse can trip.
How long does a steak take on the MD12027?
According to the manual’s cooking time table, 10 to 15 minutes at heating level 5, for steak and beef in general. MEDION expressly calls the values guidelines that vary with taste and the thickness of the food, and advises checking the doneness after approx. 2 to 4 minutes.
The other rows of the table show how MEDION thinks about the plates. Whatever needs searing is at level 5: lamb at 8 to 13 minutes, chicken wings at 9 to 15, chicken drumsticks at 15 to 20 and chops at 20 to 25 minutes. Fish, depending on the type, is also at level 5, at 8 to 11 minutes. Pork tenderloin, skewers and various sausages may run between level 3 and 5, at 7 to 8, 7 to 9 and 8 to 10 minutes. For vegetables the same range of level 3 to 5 applies; green peppers and mushrooms need 5 to 10 minutes, onions and potato slices 10 to 15.
The table gives no core temperature, and for a steak that says more than any figure in minutes. We would add an instant-read thermometer. Which core temperature belongs to which doneness is in our steak grilling guide, and for the smooth plate the guide to grilled vegetables is worthwhile.
Before the first grilling, you let the MD12027 heat up for approx. 5 to 10 minutes at the highest level without food. A slight smell may develop; MEDION does not call this a malfunction and requires sufficient ventilation. You thaw frozen food completely beforehand. You turn food with wooden tongs or plastic utensils, because pointed objects and metal cutlery can damage the non-stick coating of the grill plates.
Balcony, kitchen, terrace: what the manual allows
Here lies the biggest contradiction around this grill. The Amazon catalogue says it is “perfect for outdoors, e.g. balcony”. The manual words the intended use more narrowly: the appliance is intended for grilling indoors and in weather-protected outdoor areas, and directly afterwards comes the sentence “Do not use the appliance in the open air.” In outdoor areas you may use it only in dry weather, never in damp weather, and after use you must never leave it standing outdoors.
IPX4 does not cancel that. The protection rating describes splashing water on the housing, not rain and not storage under the open sky. A loggia or a covered balcony on a dry evening fits the manual in our understanding, an open balcony in drizzle does not. Whether your house rules allow electric grills is a second question, which our guide to grilling on a balcony covers.
On power, MEDION is clear. The grill belongs on a properly installed, earthed and electrically protected socket nearby that stays freely accessible, so you can disconnect it from the mains quickly. It may only be operated via a residual current device (RCD) with a rated residual current of max. 30 mA (in Germany often called an FI switch). An extension cord is ruled out, as are an external timer or a radio-controlled socket. On the terrace this is the real hurdle: if the power cord does not reach the outdoor socket, you may not operate the MD12027 there according to the manual.
For setting up, the manual requires a heat-resistant, dry and level surface. Not on hobs or other surfaces that can get hot, not at the table edge because the grill could tip over and fall, and nothing placed on the appliance. It keeps its distance from curtains, drapes, paper and other easily flammable materials; the distance should be “sufficient” on all sides and upwards, and MEDION gives no value in centimetres for it. According to the manual, avoid high humidity or wetness, extremely high or low temperatures, direct sunlight and open fire. During operation the grill is never left unattended, and it is covered with neither aluminium foil nor aluminium trays nor other materials.
Cleaning and care according to the manual
Before cleaning, you switch off, pull the plug and let everything cool down completely. You never immerse the appliance in water. It is cleaned after every use.
You take out the drip tray only when the oil or fat in it is below 40 °C; to remove it, you press the push point. The collected fat goes in the household waste, not down a drain. You release the grill plates with the release button on the side of the appliance, and for baked-on residue the manual provides for soaking them in lukewarm washing-up water.
The grill plates, the wind/splash guard and the drip tray may go in the dishwasher. Before first use and after every further use, you clean these parts with a soft, damp cloth and washing-up liquid and dry them thoroughly.
On cleaning agents the manual is strict: on no account harsh, abrasive or gritty agents, nor agents containing acetic acid, soda or solvents, and no metal objects for the grill plates. So the wire brush from the charcoal grill stays in the shed, as does the steel sponge.
For storing, you wind the power cord onto the cord winder and keep the grill in a dry, dust-free and frost-free place without direct sunlight, out of reach of children. For transport MEDION recommends the original packaging.
What else comes into question?
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDION MD12027 (this one) | ribbed and smooth plate, continuously variable controls with colour ring | approx. €100 | 7.9 | you want two cooking zones and grill indoors or in a protected spot |
| Arendo table grill 2 zones | 2800 W, 28.5 x 22.5 cm per zone according to the manufacturer | approx. €76 | 7.9 | you want a cheaper start and want to know the area beforehand |
| KLAMER electric grill duo plates | same two-plate principle, 5 fixed grill levels | approx. €119.99 | 7.9 | you want exactly this principle and cannot get the MEDION |
| WMF Lono Master Grill | 2 cast aluminium plates, area 50 x 28 cm, stand optional | approx. €117.99 | 9.0 | a documented plate material and a stand are worth the extra cost to you |
The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change constantly. The rating is our editorial assessment based on the manufacturer’s data; we did not measure anything on any of the four appliances.
When the MD12027 suits you and when another grill does
The MD12027 suits you if you grill in the kitchen, the dining room or under a roof and want two kinds of food at different temperatures in parallel. The combination of ribbed and smooth plate, each with its own control, is in our comparison the reason to choose it.
If you regularly grill on an open terrace, it is the wrong choice according to the manual. Then you need an appliance whose manufacturer expressly approves outdoor operation, and you should check that in its manual, not in the shop text.
If there is no earthed socket within reach of the power cord, it is ruled out as well. There is no way around the ban on extension cords, and then the route leads more towards gas or charcoal.
For how many people it is enough, we cannot say reliably without an area figure. With a housing of a good 52 cm width, we would plan it for small groups, which is our assessment. If you need the area in black and white, the Arendo states it per zone, the WMF for both plates together. The WMF is in our price box at approx. €117.99, the Arendo at approx. €76.
If you want to cook whole chickens, thick roasts or anything indirectly under a lid, you are in the wrong place here: no lid appears in the manual’s parts list, and none is visible in the product photo. A kettle grill or a gas grill with a hood solves this task.
The grill has no running costs apart from electricity. If it runs for an hour with both plates continuously at full power, that would be at most 2.4 kWh by our calculation; because the thermostat switches off in between, the real consumption is lower. If you are still undecided which type of grill suits your space, the grill finder helps.
